Congestion, Collaboration and Credits for Fuel

In the news this week the industry has heard about congestion, collaboration and credits for fuel, alongside a new port lease and a new telematics player.

The Australian Tax Office has recently updated its guidance material for claiming fuel tax credits for trucks. This update may affect Many operators in the trucking industry.

Items covered include:

More clarity on how to define a public road when considering things like bus lanes and toll roads.

Updated methods to use to apportion fuel claimed for powering auxiliary equipment like main cabin air conditioning.

An explanation on why the rate used for fuel to power air conditioning or idling on public roads is reduced by the road user charge.

Information in the ATO’s Business Bulletin. There is also more detail at Heavy Vehicles. The FTC calculator will help make sure their claims are right. FTC rates increased on July 1 and again on August 1. Operators should check to make sure they use the right rates in their BAS.

Traffic congestion is leading to more than $3 billion worth of time being lost per year, according to research conducted by TomTom. The TomTom Traffic Index Report has found traffic in Australia’s 10 busiest cities is increasing overall travel times by 25 per cent, on average. This is extending the time commercial drivers spend on the road by an average of 25 minutes per day across Australia’s major metros, costing those businesses in excess of $3.37 billion per year, as a result of wasted labour costs.

“Traffic congestion is a fact of life for every driver. As we reveal the latest Traffic Index results, we can see that the problem is not going away,” said Christopher Chisman-Duffy, Sales Manager at TomTom Telematics ANZ. “In fact, traffic congestion in Australia has increased by an average of 4 per cent over the last eight years, with Sydney being the most congested city in Australia and the 30th most congested city globally. There is a clear need to overcome the congestion challenge to recapture those lost hours.”

Collaboration between government and trucking operators was on the agenda when more than 100 attendees converged on Temora for the Livestock and Bulk Carriers Association 2016 Heavy Vehicle Forum.

“I haven’t seen so many local councils represented in one room – it was a great to see the interest from councils all across the state, said Lynley Miners, President of the LBCA. “The fact we had councils from all over NSW highlights the interest in and the need councils have to secure funding from government to upgrade roads.

“It was terrific to have Councils, RMS, NHVR, TfNSW and industry in the same room. There was a clear theme in all presentations at the Forum, collaboration. It was a big theme from presenters and the LBCA has already offered to engage with local councils to assist where we as an association can help them develop and support road funding applications. We are looking forward to engaging with councils with a view to supporting their applications for funding.”

Both the Victorian Transport Association and the Australian Logistics Council welcomed the Victorian Government’s lease of the Port of Melbourne. The VTA reckoned the much needed funding the lease will provide to upgrade and improve the state’s transport infrastructure.

According to the ALC, the long-term lease of the Port of Melbourne for $9.7 billion must be accompanied by significant investment in road and rail infrastructure linking the port to the wider transport network to maximise its economic contribution to Victoria and the nation.

“Now that an agreement has been reached on the long term lease of the Port, ALC encourages the State and Commonwealth Governments to prioritise infrastructure investment to the port to ensure it can meet its economic potential,” said Michael Kilgariff, ALC Managing Director.

According to the VTA the funding means Victoria can expect vital new infrastructure, such as the North East Link, will be seriously pursued.

“The VTA is very satisfied with stakeholder engagement throughout the process and looks forward to funds being used for infrastructure development that will continue to grow the economy and improve productivity for freight operators,” said Peter Anderson, VTA CEO.

Transport Certification Australia announced telematics provider BIGmate has obtained TCA type-approval for one of its Telematics IVU models.

“BIGmate has obtained TCA type-approval for one of its new Telematics IVU product offerings,” said Chris Koniditsiotis, TCA CEO. “By having put forward their Telematics IVU for independent assessment and type-approval by TCA, BIGmate can now clearly distinguish their Telematics IVU offering from others in the market.

“BIGmate has expressed it is responding to a shift in the expectations of purchasers, who are now not only better informed about the potential pitfalls of making ill-informed decisions about telematics, but are seeking assurance that the decisions they make will support their needs.”